The Double Pivot: Soccer analysis, analytics, and commentary

As Liverpool grow more heavily reliant on fullbacks attacking, and Manchester City deal with injuries and inconsistency on the backline, it creates some odd possibilities for the squads' clash this weekend. Outside of the title race, the race for top 4 is shaping up to not be much of a race at all if nothing changes, and the same could be said for the relegation places. But as usual, the numbers suggest otherwise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone...

The latest edition of Liverpool vs. Spurs contained multitudes and the two Mikes are here to break it down, but not before a quick look at Burnley vs. Chelsea, which was super weird in its own right.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show

Welcome to the 2019-20 Premier League season, where even the teams fighting for the top spots in the league are doing so in the most uninspiring fashion imaginable. If you like goals and you like shots, well, this isn't the place to find them. The two Mikes attempt to figure out what the heck is going on.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show

Mike and Michael are at the Statsbomb conference in London. They talk through some of the highlights of last weekend's matches in the Premier League and then discuss what they saw at the conference and the new key concept in soccer analytics introduced by Thom Lawrence, "The Valley of Meh" and what it means for understanding the game.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show

A Manchester United - Arsenal match seemed to confirm every one of our priors about these two teams. But is something wrong with City? Why are Liverpool a bit less good than they seem? My god what is happening with Spurs? Mike and Michael start to reconsider Spurs and Chelsea while holding the line on the rest. Plus more of the same questions from La Liga, while Real and Barcelona continue not to whelm us.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show

Teams outside the top two in the Premier League may just be mailing it in and playing the kids this season. Chelsea vs. Liverpool was an interesting watch, and Leicester City showed its best lineup against Spurs, Other things are happening, too! This is just part one!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show

For subscribers at patreon.com/doublepivot we have a two-part (p)review, where we cover our eight Champions League groups, by way of discussing the matches in the first round on Tuesday and Wednesday, and what to expect in the groups over the next few months.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show

Yeah so Man City lost to Norwich City. We get into what happened and what it could mean as we survey the weekend's results in the Premier League and ask if the table is already shaking out about the way we expected? Leicester, Wolves, Spurs, Norwich, City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea all covered.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show

Mike and Michael are joined by the New York Times' Astead Herndon, a national political reporter and Tottenham Hotspur fan. The conversation winds from Americans finding their Premier League team to polling analytics and diversity in media, back around to why Michael and Astead still feel good about Tottenham this season.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show

The North London derby provided all the insanity it normally does, and weird come-from-behind results echoed the sentiment around the league. That all leads the two Mikes to ask what we really know about the Premier League this season after four matches. Then, their attention turns to all the giants having a hell of a hard time getting going in La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show